Technology is undoubtedly making our lives easier to manage. From booking plane or dinner reservations to paying bills, today’s generation of smartphones have applications for just about everything — including a user-friendly and convenient way to provide proof of car insurance.
The days of feverishly searching for that elusive piece of paper to show the (im)patient motorcycle officer are numbered, as more insurance companies have started making insurance ID cards available from their mobile apps. This provides welcome relief to drivers that in the past, had been faced with a court date or a fix-it ticket because they forgot to carry their proof of insurance card in their vehicle.
As of November 7, 2013, a total of 29 states have adopted e-card laws and/or regulations that permit drivers to display evidence of insurance coverage with their smart phone during a traffic stop. During 2013, 21 states have approved electronic proof of coverage laws: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Several other states, including Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, have pending legislation for e-card proof of insurance.
In addition to the convenience of electronic identification cards, they are valuable time savers for the judicial arm of government, helping reduce time spent by courts addressing tickets issued to drivers who have simply neglected to carry a hard copy of their current insurance card.
Another benefit of electronic identification cards will enable a customer to see their insurance policy 24/7. This will be especially helpful when people are evacuated or suffer a loss following a natural disaster, such as a fire, flood or earthquake.
As a backup plan, in the event of a car crash where your phone may be damaged (leaving you without a digital ID card), it’s a good idea to keep the paper copy in the car as well.
